Dr. Wes - I'm your reader who spent 8 days in the hospital with pneumonia and a resultant electrolyte imbalance.

I just received the pathology bill and am shocked to see it shows a "Drug Screen Multiple Classes" code 80100. The doctor never told me he was going to run this, and I would have refused it if he had because I'm not a drug user and it was a waste of my money. What are the ethical issues surrounding running such a test on an inpatient without their knowledge?

Anony 4:32-Interesting question. Doctors are not ethically bound to ask patients first whether or not they agree to a particular test before ordering it - especially in an emergency room setting. Hopefully, they are only ordering those tests they deem necessary to establish the diagnosis based on your presentation and symptoms. While I understand your frustration over this charge, we must also understand the legal climate that ER and practicing physicians see these days that requires that "no stone go un-turned" in evaluating patients. Overtesting exists in ER's and on the wards due to doctors' liability concerns, and it should in no way be construed as a reflection on your character. Should an insurer refuse payment for this test, then you might consider potesting this charge with the collections department.

Featured Post

About Me

Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC is a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist (doctor specializing in heart rhythm disorders) practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, USA and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He entered the blog-o-sphere in November, 2005.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly the those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the opinion(s) or policy(ies) of NorthShore University HealthSystem, nor recommendations for your care or anyone else's. Please seek professional guidance instead.